A potential danger with hydrocarbon and other chemical extraction or production, processing, refining, and/or storage facilities is that vapors, e.g., gaseous hydrocarbons or other combustible vapors, can escape into the atmosphere and form a vapor cloud. Being combustible, such vapor cloud can be unintentionally ignited causing an explosion or what is commonly referred to as a “vapor cloud explosion” or simply “VCE.” During a vapor cloud explosion, a flame front forms and outwardly expands from the point of ignition. As the flame front expands, it can accelerate toward sonic velocity and cause the formation of an overpressure as it passes around structures in its way, such as piping, process equipment, and buildings. This overpressure can have a significant and detrimental effect on the structures, as well as the people in and around the site of the vapor cloud explosion. The overpressure can not only damage the structure(s) and severely injure humans; it can also cause the complete collapse of structures and death. Additionally, any structures located a few or even several kilometers away from a vapor cloud explosion can be damaged, e.g., broken windows, as a result of the overpressure.
To mitigate the dangers and damages posed by vapor cloud explosions, processing equipment, such as extraction, reaction, separation, refining, storage, and the like, have been monitored for leaks or potential leaks that could result in the formation of a combustible or flammable vapor cloud. If such a leak is detected, the process equipment is shut down to prevent and/or reduce the amount of gas released. Another step taken to reduce the damaging effects of vapor cloud explosions is to over-engineer structures, i.e., to construct buildings and other structures with additional reinforcement or stronger materials. Neither monitoring for leaks nor over-engineering structures, however, contributes to a reduction or prevention of an overpressure formed as the result of a vapor cloud explosion.
There is a need, therefore, for new systems and methods for reducing an overpressure caused by combustion of a vapor cloud.